Singer/dancer/comic actress Jane Krakowski has been in the business since she was a little kid, but most people don’t know her by name. You may know her as Jenna, the self-absorbed, B-list actress always trying to make it onto the A-list, on the hit NBC comedy “30 Rock,” starring Tina Fey. Before that, she was consistently hilarious as Elaine, a slutty, attention-starved receptionist on “Ally McBeal.” Most people don’t know that she is an amazing singer with a Broadway pedigree. Anyway, Jane was recently asked about her role on “30 Rock” and what it’s like to be on that show.

You may know her as clueless Jenna on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock or remember her as scheming secretary Elaine on Ally McBeal. But you’ve never seen blonde beauty Jane Krakowski as Scarlet O’Hara in Gone with the Wind or King Kong’s squeeze Ann Darrow – until now! Jane, 40, recently starred in two digitally doctored webisodes at smoothanddreamy.com, reenacting those scenes from famous films with hilarious twists. Jane told Star all about it – and her 30 Rock co-stars!
Why did you star in these webisodes?
I’ve never done anything like this before, with so many digital effects. I mean, I’m kissing and talking to Clark Gable – it’s mad! We picked movies everyone knows, so when they go off kilter, you know it’s meant to be funny.

Does it ever bother you, how Jenna’s treated on 30 Rock?

I am a big fan of anything self-deprecating, and you have to have that sense of humor to be on 30 Rock. I love Jenna’s disillusionment with her level of show business success.

Tell us a 30 Rock Secret!

Tina Fey breaks out a stripper dance quite a bit, which makes me laugh. Tracy Morgan sings a lot. He knows so many songs. He can bust out a Michael McDonald tune or Christopher Cross’ “Sailing.” That’s a big one for him!

[From Star, print version, June 15, 2009]

It sounds like that set is a lot of fun. Tina Fey dancing like a stripper? I would pay to see that. And I believe Tracy Morgan did bust out some Michael McDonald on an episode of the show last season. I wonder if the writers added that because he was singing it around the set? My favorite Jenna-centered “30 Rock” episode was when she intentionally spiked Kenneth the NBC Page’s lunch with strawberries so he would have an allergic reaction, all because she had a crush on a hot EMT! There’s another episode where Liz, Tina Fey’s character, is invited to do a photo shoot with Jenna and ends up stealing the spotlight because she is willing to pose with a rubber chicken and Groucho Marx glasses. Good stuff from two very funny ladies!

Photos above of Jane Krakowski at the 2009 Screen Actors Guild Award. Photo credits: Fame. Photos below of Jane at the 2009 Lortel Awards celebrating Off-Broadway, May 3, 2009. Photo credits: WENN.